Former Malaysian prime minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein formed a huge parliamentary coalition that co-opted opposition parties in pursuit of national unity. Getty Images
Tun Abdul Razak, then Malaya's deputy prime minister and defence minister, exchanges gifts with then US president John F Kennedy in the White House, Washington. Alamy
Tun Abdul Razak, second right, poses for pictures with ministerial representatives from the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore in Bangkok during the creation of the Association of South-East Asian Nations in 1967. AFP
Tun Abdul Razak, centre, meets Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi during his visit to Iran in 1968. AP Photo
Tun Abdul Razak with then French president Georges Pompidou during a meeting at the Elysee Palace, Paris in 1971. Getty Images
Tun Abdul Razak, by now Malaysia's prime minister, meets then chairman Mao Zedong of China in 1974. Getty Images
Tun Abdul Razak is awarded the Most Honorable Order of the Crown of Brunei at Istana Tetamu in Kuala Lumpur in 1975. Getty Images
Tun Abdul Razak's funeral procession outside Parliament House, Kuala Lumpur in 1976. Tun Razak died in London while undergoing treatment for chronic leukaemia. AP Photo
Pall bearers carry Tun Abdul Razak's casket to the police hearse at Subang International Airport, Kuala Lumpur, upon arrival from UK in 1976. Tun Razak died at the age of 53. AP Photo
In the 1960s and 70s, it wasn't just the "domino effect" of communism that threatened the countries of South-East Asia. Autocrats were seizing power and overthrowing or reducing democracies to a shell all over the region: Ne Win in 1962 in Burma, Suharto in 1967 in Indonesia, Lon Nol in Cambodia in 1970 and Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines in 1972.
In Malaysia, parliamentary democracy was suspended in 1969, after the opposition did unprecedentedly well against the Malay-dominated governing coalition, leading to the May 13 race riots between ethnic Malay and Chinese that left hundreds dead. And all of this against the backdrop of an ongoing armed communist insurgency.
A state of emergency was declared, and a National Operations Council with supreme powers was set up to rule the country, headed by the long-serving deputy prime minister, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, who became prime minister the following year.
And then, something extraordinary happened. In February 1971, 50 years ago last month, Tun Razak gave up his powers and reconvened Parliament. As his eldest son, the prime minister at the time, Najib Razak, said at a seminar in memory of his father in 2016: “Many others in that situation would have held onto those powers. Indeed, his actions went against the grain of many leaders in the world and this region at the time. But Tun Razak was a great democrat. He never wanted to use the powers he wielded – in fact he seemed fearful of them – and as soon as he could he sought to relinquish them.
“By 1971, peace and order had been restored in the country and Tun Razak willingly re-established parliamentary rule. That… saved Malaysia, and it saved Malaysian democracy from the fate that many other developing countries endured.”
Given the knife-edge racial tensions – due partly to the fact that Malays and other indigenous peoples were the majority but only owned three per cent of the country’s wealth in 1970, compared to the 27 per cent owned by the large Chinese ethnic minority – Tun Razak could easily have justified holding onto his autocratic powers. Many advised him to do so.
“There were sections of Umno” – the United Malays National Organisation, which anchored every administration continuously until 2018 – “that wanted the NOC to continue,” Tun Razak’s youngest son, the leading corporate figure and public intellectual Nazir Razak, tells me. “It was much easier to govern that way, and they feared a return to civil disorder.” But Tun Razak wouldn’t hear of it. “My father was a strong democrat,” says Mr Nazir. “He never envisaged a non-democratic Malaysia.”
Tun Razak and his deputy Tun Dr Ismail had a vision to “recalibrate”, as Mr Nazir puts it, the country’s foundations. The “Rukun Negara”, or national principles, were promulgated in 1970, and a New Economic Policy that aimed to reduce racial inequality was launched the following year. Both were supported by a National Consultative Council of 67 people from all sectors of society.
“They really robustly debated the causes, and what was needed to bring back a more stable politics,” says Mr Nazir. Part of the problem, he says, was that the Westminster-style governance structure Malaysia had been bequeathed by the UK “was designed for a homogenous society, not one where people view matters in racial terms. We needed to tweak it. Because it was unfettered racial and religious talk that had led to 1969".
Following a period of tumult, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein and then deputy prime minister Tun Dr Ismail, pictured, recalibrated Malaysia’s foundations. Keystone Pictures USA/Shutterstock
Tun Razak and Tun Dr Ismail died tragically young in office, but both are revered across the political spectrum in Malaysia to this day
Tariq Ismail, grandson of Tun Dr Ismail, says that the aim was to “glue back Malaysia’s fragile multiculturalism". He mentions a quote from his late grandfather’s memoirs: “Why did we fight for Merdeka [independence]? So that the different races can be divided? That can’t be the way, right? I hope the new discussions will start. What Malaysia are we building? What kind of symbol is Malaysia supposed to be?”
Tun Razak went on to form a huge parliamentary coalition that co-opted opposition parties in pursuit of national unity. Both he and Tun Dr Ismail died tragically young in office, but both are revered across the political spectrum in Malaysia to this day, to the extent that the current Prime Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, ordered a state funeral to be given for Tun Razak’s widow when she died last December.
Their achievements resonate across the decades. Not just because they fought for an inclusive and equitable future for their young nation, and not just because the way they did so provides a model for others to follow. The consultative council is “useful for all countries to consider", according to Mr Nazir. “If the system gets into a jam and is no longer adequate, the kind of structural changes necessary cannot be done by elected representatives with short-term mindsets.”
Former Philippines president Ferdinand Marcos undermined his country's democracy while in power. He was not the only South-East Asian leader to do so. Ted Spiegel / Corbis
But it is above all the example set by a leader who had untrammelled authority – and who then freely gave it up for something greater. As Tun Razak said: “Unless we restore power to where it properly belongs, and to the people through Parliament, all the struggle for independence, the struggle against communism, all that will have been in vain.”
Elina Noor, my former colleague at Malaysia’s Institute of Strategic and International Studies and now a director at the Asia Society Policy Institute in Washington, sums up Tun Razak’s contribution beautifully: “Perhaps the enduring lesson of that era is that the security of the nation cannot hinge on the insecurity of its leaders; that service to the nation means fidelity to its people and their choices; and that the nation is more than the state.”
Tun Razak is already honoured by being called the country’s “Father of Development”. Younger generations, and not just in Malaysia, should know about the distinguished public servant who may well have saved his nation’s democracy as well.
Sholto Byrnes is an East Asian affairs columnist for The National
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
Investors: KISP ventures, Cedar Mundi, Towell Holding International, Takamul Capital, Dividend Gate Capital, Nizar AlNusif Sons Holding, Arab Investment Company and Al Imtiaz Investment Group
How to volunteer
The UAE volunteers campaign can be reached at www.volunteers.ae , or by calling 800-VOLAE (80086523), or emailing info@volunteers.ae.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
BOSH!'s pantry essentials
Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Rasmi Ragy is a senior counsel at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Prosecutor in Egypt with more than 40 years experience across the GCC.
Education: Ain Shams University, Egypt, in 1978.
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany - At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people - Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed - Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest - He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
